A New Day
by SandShinobi
Summary: What happens when enemies of the past become enemies of the present? Secrets are revealed and a new evil is discovered. Can Konoha prevail once again or will this new darkness permanently distinguish the village's will of fire?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto nor any characters that are canon to the series.**

Chapter 1: Troublesome Revelations

The streets of Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves, was typical a pretty peaceful place when it came to the early hours of the morning. The streets were virtually empty aside from the stray workers trying to get to their food stalls to start cooking for the breakfast rush. Aside from that there really wasn't any activity that could be observed, but this morning had been different. So different that it would change the shinobi of Konoha forever.

A solitary figure shrouded in a dark cloak sprinted through the early morning mist, weaving in and out of stalls and alleyways trying to lose his perpetrators. Parallel to the cloaked figure were several black blurs that jumped from rooftop to rooftop closing in on their pray at a rapid speed. Disparity clinched the figure as it began to stumble and smash into wooden crates that lined the street and this gave the oncoming blurs the opening they had been waiting for. Suddenly the chasers appeared in front and on both sides of their target which backed the mysterious person into a brick wall. There was nowhere else for the person to go.

Now that these blurs had come to a standstill their true forms were revealed, black trench coats covered more of their bodies aside from the black sandals they wore on their feet. Underneath the dark hood of their jackets were masks of a wolf, boar, and lizard. The classic appearance of deadly ANBU operatives who functioned directly under the Hokage's orders. The masked ninja who stood in front of the target they apprehended held a gloved hand out with the palm turned up. "You have been captured by the direct order of the Hokage for stealing property from her personal library. You must hand over all stolen material before we can continue the process." The ninja's voice was almost emotionless aside from the cold tone that barely made its presence known.

The mysterious figure slowly pulled the hood of the cloak down to reveal the face of a scared young man. A large scar lay vertically on the right check of the brown eyed boy and his black hair stopped just above the shoulder. His eyes darted frantically from one ANBU to another and the look of someone who was fixing to do something very irrational began grow on to his facial features. "Don't do anything stupid boy.." The operative to his right said with a much more animated voice than the one to his front used. The boy shook his head frantically and pressed his body as hard as he possibly could against the brick wall that blocked his escape.

"Y-you do not understand w-who you are m-messing with!"

He shouted in a maniacal tone as his muscles tensed which caused the two shinobi at his sides to assume battle stances. Then the member that wore the mask of wolf spoke once again, "We will not ask again, hand over what has been stolen or face the consequences." The hint of coldness in his voice rapidly grew as he became more and more frustrated with the current situation. Another psychotic shout ripped from the boy's chest as he unsheathed a sword from under his cloak and attempted to lunge at the one who stood in front of him. The wolf ANBU pushed the boy's feeble attack to the side which caused him to stumble forward, but before he could fall to the ground a kunai was drove into his throat. The blow proved fatal as blood gushed from the open wound after the boy fell face first into the street.

"Stupid kid.." The lizard ANBU's words were quiet as he shook his head slowly before crouching beside the corpse and searching it. "Bingo!" He said victoriously after a few moments and dangled the small scroll above his head for his partner to take. The wolf grabbed it immediately and placed it in his pocket before scowling the lizard, "Items as delicate as this are not to held out in the open." The other ninja simply replied with a snort and reached over to the corpse's neck and pulled the collar to reveal a tattoo in the form of a kanji symbol. "Eh.. This one has symbol for death on his neck like the last three." He stated in a low whisper before standing up. The streets were beginning to come to life as the sun slowly peaked over the horizon.

The wolf ANBU who apparently was the captain of the squad turned to one who wore the boar mask, "Dispatch a squad to pick the target up and stand guard until they have arrived. Allow no one to tamper with the scene, anyone who attempts to are considered a accomplice and will apprehended as well." The boar nodded quickly before the other two launched themselves to the rooftop above the scene and vanished in a cloud of smoke using shunshin. The lone ninja left to guard the corpse of the thief simply stood over the dead man with his arms folded across his chest generating a slight amount of killing intent that kept the morning traffic at a good distance.

With another cloud of smoke the two operatives appeared in the Hokage's office where Lady Tsunade sat behind her desk with a very bored expression. "We have returned with the stolen scroll, Hokage-sama." The wolf-masked shinobi explained as he stepped forward and laid the small scroll on her desk. Tsunade stared at the scroll with an odd expression and then let out a low sigh, "I'm getting far too old for this." The two shinobi stood perfectly still and remained utterly silent as their leader examined the returned scroll. "Were there any clues as to why the thief took this specific scroll?" The lizard-masked operative stepped forward this time with his hands clasped behind his back.

"No ma'am, but we did find that he had a tattoo on his neck that was identical to the last three incidents involving sacred scrolls."

Tsunade pinched her nose in frustration while trying to digest the information the man had given her. "You are dismissed." With that being said the two figures both bowed lowly before yet again disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Once alone, Tsunade pulled a bottle of sake from the bottom right drawer of her desk and uncorked it. After a long swig she placed the bottle in the exact position it was previously in and then resumed her stare at the scroll the ANBU captains had recovered.

'_Four incidents of forbidden scrolls pertaining to resurrection by four individuals who all bore the same kanji symbol for death on their necks. What the hell is going on?!'_

The two operatives that had previously explained their findings to the Hokage appeared inside the ANBU headquarters with their usual puffs of smoke. The lizard immediately pulled back his hood and removed his mask with a dramatic gasp as if he wasn't able to breathe under its cover then sat down on the bench in front of his locker. "Fucking kanji symbol of death on their necks? That's some weird shit." The young man groaned while rubbing his face. The other figure was much more graceful when removing his mask and placing it down on the bench in front his locker on the opposite side of where his partner sat. "It is quiet disturbing." He retorted in a calculating tone while unzipping the coat and removing it from his body.

"What's even more fucked up is the fact that the chunin that guard the hokage's library let this shit happen _four_ times already!" The young man snarled while he fiddled with the zipper under his chin. "Calm down, Kiba. I am sure that Ibiki will have all of them in custody within the hour for questioning." The white eyes that showed no signs of having pupils gazed down at his partner with a solemn expression. "Easy for you to say, Neji. This is only the second time you've had to deal with. I have been on duty every damn time this shit has went down." The Inuzuka boy whined even after successfully getting the zipper to go down on his black coat.

The two boys spent the rest of their time changing into jounin standard uniforms in complete silence. Both were a little perturbed with this new group stirring up trouble in their village but decided not to discuss it any further considering how confidential the information happened to be. A piercing howl erupted from the down the hallway and was followed by a huge white dog with scruffy hair bursting into the room almost knocking a row of lockers down. "AKAMARU!" Kiba explained as he wrapped his arms around the huge canine's neck while the dog licked him all over the face. "Sorry you couldn't come but don't worry, we kicked the bastard's ass!" The Inuzuka boy shouted and his counterpart gave a enthusiastic bark.

Neji shook his head at the feral boy and his dog before closing his locker and exiting the compound. The warm morning sunlight felt good on his face and exposed skin on his arms, but the peace was shattered when Kiba and Akamaru came bounding out of the headquarters after him. "Wait up, Neji! You wanna grab some breakfast or something?" The Hyuuga merely shook his head and continued to walk down the path. "I have too many obligations this morning to take the time needed for breakfast." Kiba immediately rolled his eyes at Neji's formal tone. "Don't be such a old man! We are nineteen, we both need to be eating good food and checking out the babes as they walk by." He shouted after hoping onto Akarmaru's back who was walking at a slow pace to stay beside Neji. "I have neither interest nor the time for either of those things." He said prudently.

The Inuzuka boy continued to pester Neji until finally he agreed out of pure frustration. So they made their ways down into the now busy streets of Konoha and found a sweet roll stall that wasn't too busy. After they got their orders the two boys found a table near the kitchen and took a seat. Kiba tore into the rolls with a ferocity that could only be compared to an animal while Neji simply took small calculated bites and chewed slowly. Despite the huge gap of difference between the two they were finding it hard to resist the urge to discuss the happenings from earlier that morning. Luckily, before either of them could give in to the temptation a familiar face sat down at their table with her food as well.

"You two look like you need nap." A girl with delicate features and two buns in her dark hair exclaimed with a giggle. "Mornin' Tenten!" Kiba snorted between huge bites of sweet rolls and staring at her. That is what Kiba did best; stare at females. Neji gave the girl a polite nod, "Good morning, Tenten-chan." Tenten slid her chair up to the table which inevitably caused her to move closer to where the Hyuuga boy sat and he immediately heard the boy across the table stifle some laughter the best he could. The close proximity between the two caused a shade of pink that appear on Neji's cheeks but he hid it well.

"Word this morning is a group of ANBU apprehended some guy who broke into the Hokage's library and had to kill him. You two know anything about that?" While Tenten knew that her two classmates held high ranks in the ANBU they still were not allowed to speak of such information until it was made public. So naturally they both stiffen in their chairs and shook their heads at the exact same time, but the girl knew better than to believe them. "Either way, that makes four times that several scrolls have been almost stolen. There is also some talk of them all having kanji symbol for death tattoo on their necks, pretty interesting huh?" Neji's only reply was simple grunt as he focused on his food while Kiba said absolutely nothing. The Hyuuga prodigy knew this had been a bad idea. Despite the fact that he enjoyed being around Tenten he didn't really like her intentional prying. A sullen expression washed over Tenten's face as she elbowed Neji in the ribs. "You two know something and you aren't telling.."

Neji simply looked over at his old teammate and gave her a polite smile and then a nod directed at the Inuzuka. "I have several obligations I must tend to." With that he stood and placed the proper amount of ryo on the table before leaving in graceful strides. Kiba watched his partner walk away and then turned to Tenten while ignoring Akamaru eating off of his plate. "Sorry babe, we aren't allowed to talk about it. If you want I'm sure you can get it out of Neji considering y'all are sweet on each other." A shocked gasp escaped her lips as she shot Kiba a look that could kill but it had no effect on the boy. Instead he winked at her and stood up while dropping more than enough ryo on the table. "Gotta fly! Places to go, people to see." Jumping on Akamaru's back the dog immediately began to trot in the direction of the Inuzuka compound. "Don't get no prettier!" Kiba shouted over his shoulder with his typical 'too cool' attitude.

Kiba's typical carefree attitude had been more of a front than real that morning due to nervous tension tying his stomach in knots. Something was going on and both of the ANBU operatives had a feeling that it was going to be very bad once it came to a head…

**Author's Note's**

Sorry it is so short, I wanted to see what kind of responses I got before I started putting a lot of time into this plot. Hope you like it! This sort of morphed out of some muse I developed from reading some good fics on here watching too much Full Metal Alchemist. This story is AU and is placed three years after the fourth war but Neji isn't killed. I have a lot planned for this story that will be revealed as the chapters' progress if I get good feedback of course. As for pairings the only one for sure is NejixTenten. I haven't decided what to do with the only main character, Kiba. I'm opened to suggestions as to who should be with or ideas that you might think would work well with this developing fic! Send em to me!

Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Real Evil

While several ninja of the leaf struggled to figure out just what was happening in their village the source of their problem moved ever closer to their home's outer walls. A figure sat lazily on a low hanging tree limb allowing her legs to dangle freely, she wore all black and her hair that reached the middle of her back matched her attire perfectly. The only thing that would set this female apart from a regular kunoichi was her crimson eyes that seemed to glint in the dark as she sat in the tree with an odd grin plastered across her pale feature. It was not until another figure emerged from the darkness of the forest that she hopped down from where she was sitting and stood before this now visible man. He towered over her head by a good three feet and must have weighed every bit of four hundred pounds, but he too shared those same crimson eyes. In his grasp was what looked to be one of the unconscious chunin that stood guard at the front gates most of the time.

"Lady Toshiko, I bring another willing servant." The man's voice was deep and echoed off the surrounding tree trunks as he spoke. A giggle that would send chills down most people's backs erupted from the woman while she sized up the unconscious ninja with hungry eyes.

"Minoru, your actions are pleasing. This one should work just fine.." Toshiko hissed as she dropped to her knees beside the young chunin and placed her palm against his neck. Suddenly a searing noise resounded from where she had placed her hand and the boy jerked back to consciousness. Once Toshiko removed her hand from the boy's neck the kanji symbol of death appeared much like on the other thieves who had been killed in the village. When the boy opened his eyes they were solid black but after a few seconds the darkness seemed to crawl to the backside of the eye socket.

The chunin's confused expression slowly morphed into a grin before he bowed before the woman who stood before him, Toshiko. "Welcome, my humble servant. I trust you know what you must do." The demonized boy nodded and then disappeared in a shunshin . Once the smoke cleared Minoru walked over to where the woman was standing and gazed into her face with a humbled expression. "Our numbers have reached their highest yet and we are only one resurrection scroll away from having the full set." Toshiko simply nodded the entire time the brute informed her of their situation and then clasped her hands together in front of her.

"One more scroll and my brother will be free.. It is almost time to wake up, Toshio."_._

Typically on a night off of duty Neji would train for several hours and then sleep for the rest of his time off as so to be at peak performance when it came time to do his job. This was not the case after the young Hyuuga prodigy left Kiba and Tenten that morning. He had found himself hulled up in the library that held most of the B-ranked secrets in the ANBU headquarters. The source of the extensive research he had began was what relevance the kanji symbol for death held throughout the shinobi world, but unfortunately after endless hours Neji came up with nothing plausible.

Although there had been one thing the ninja had stumble upon while glancing over a book that contained most of the area's folk lore. It stated that the symbol of death served as a symbol of servitude to a specific family of demons. One that supposedly, if the lore was true, had been defeated and sealed away long before Konohagakure had ever been constructed. Neji simply waved this information off as unrealistic and then placed all the books back on the shelf in a desperate attempt to call it a night. Even after deeming the only clue he had found impossible Neji could not shake the feeling that all of this was not simply a coincidence.

Regardless, Neji needed to get some rest considering he was back on duty early the next morning so he left the headquarters. Once he reached the gate of the ANBU compound the two rookie members that stood guard gave him a brief bow. Neji was one of three squad captains with Inuzuka as his second-in-command. It was funny how things worked. Back in their genin days Neji simply looked at Kiba as one of the biggest annoyances in the village, close second to that of Uzumaki Naruto. That all changed through the years of war and now the two were some of his most trusted friends. He and Kiba went through the ANBU training together and when Neji was named a captain and given the opportunity of choosing his right hand there was no doubt that Kiba deserved it.

A lot had changed since the war came to an end. Neji actually became more than a robot and showed emotion when it was needed. Most of their class that had rose through the ranks of Konoha and were among the most valued shinobi Lady Tsunade had. Lee had his own genin team to take care of now while Tenten had taken the position of personal guard for the Hokage. Being a jounin, Tenten had been given a chance to lead a team genin but after Neji joined the ANBU she wanted a more important rank.

The girl had secretly taken a special place in his heart but Neji had no idea how to handle such emotions. So Neji did what he did best; put what he felt were more important things in front of figuring out how to confront Tenten about their situation. Of course, that didn't keep Kiba from constantly taking shots at him using that as inspiration.

The only sound coming from Kiba's bedroom was the soft swishing noise that came from the ceiling fan and the loud snoring coming Akamaru's giant body at the end of the bed. The breeze from the fan caused the blinds coving the window to move side to side thus making the moonlight that peaked through dance across the dark surfaces of the room. Everything in the Inuzuka's room may have been peaceful although Kiba's mind was anything but. Much like Neji, this situation was bugging the hell out of him. He didn't know whether to just chalk it up as a funny coincidence or if there was something going on in the bigger picture. Bigger picture, that wasn't something that the dog user was very good at viewing.

As if there were enough, the more he thought about it the less comfortable his bed got. Eventually he sat up with a frustrated sigh causing his counterpart to jerk his head to attention. "Everything is okay. I'm just gonna go get something to drink so get some more sleep." Even Kiba's whispers were annoyed but Akamaru simply laid his head back down on his paws and watched the boy disappear through the doorway.

The cool breeze seemed to calm the ninja's nerves after he took a seat on the steps leading to the Inuzuka clan main house. It was pretty peaceful just sitting there letting the wind wash over him but it didn't last long before Hana walked out and sat down beside him. "What the hell are you still doing up?" Kiba grunted without even taking a look over at her.

"I've been in the kennels taking care of some of the other dogs that needed vaccinations. So what is on your mind, little brother?" Hana asked quietly so that they didn't wake any of the other clan members.

"Just some stuff that's been going on around the village, I would tell ya but I'm not really aloud to talk about it." The younger of the two Inuzuka replied while leaning against his knees.

Hana nodded all the while staring out into the dark streets of the village she loved so much. "Mom has been talking about it a bit. She was acting the exact same way you are about it."

"Well she is our mom.." Kiba snorted and finally looked over at his sister. The Inuzuka were one of the more family oriented clans in the village so occurrences like this happened more often than not. The number of these bonding events increased drastically once they got home from the war after it had ended. Tsume said it was something that should happen because it was a miracle they all had survived and NOBODY argued with what that woman said.

Unfortunately, the conversation with Hana ended abruptly when a huge explosion resounded through the village. There was not a question to where the source of the sound came from because smoke immediately began to billow over the top of the Hokage tower. "What the fuck?!" Kiba shouted as he and his sister jumped to their feet. Tsume came bursting through the door with a look of unconditional ferocity on her face which to Kiba was scarier than anything that could've caused the explosion. Before there could be any sort of verbal exchange between the three the spiral tattoo on Kiba's right shoulder began to tingle as a signal that the ANBU were needed.

Neji arrived at the front of the tower in his standard ANBU uniform with the captain's white hooded cloak to see that even most of the active jonin were called to duty as well. Something big was going on if both forces had been called on. Kiba appeared beside the Hyuuga with Akamaru at his side, like that was going to conceal his identity but if this was as dire as it seems the dog's help would be appreciated. As the Hokage appeared at the top of the stairs wearing tatter robs with burnt spots all over them both of the ANBU moved closer to her to make their presence known. That was their job, to protect the Hokage unless she told them to do otherwise.

Behind Tsunade was Sakura and several other medical ninja working on what looked to be four bodies that were badly burned but the pink haired kunoichi looked up at their leader and shook her head slowly. Neji felt his face grow hot with anger and Kiba obviously felt the same because the boy's body was beginning to shake under the black cloak. "We have been attacked by one of our own." Tsunade's voice was obviously saturated with anger as she shouted out to the group of high-ranked shinobi.

"The chunin, Akio, has detonated several powerful bombs that have claimed the lives of four other chunin. This was done to take the scroll that was unsuccessfully stolen yesterday, but this time it seems that a far more skilled shinobi has done so. I am tasking the ANBU I have called forth with the apprehension of Akio at any means possible, but I would prefer him to be brought back alive for questioning. This scroll must not leave the village! As for the rest of you, I need you all to group together and patrol the village for any other potential bombs or threats."

With that Tsunade nodded at her subordinates and turned back to Sakura to help examining the victims of the explosion. Neji immediately motioned for the other two operatives to move out and began walking towards the back of the group to discuss how they should approach the situation. Before the young captain could make it out of the crowd someone grasped his wrist which made him snap his hand to the side, it was Tenten. The look of concern on her face slightly unnerved Neji but he hid it well. The young jonin's expression said it all and Neji gave a slight nod before being released. The girl was worried about them but Neji couldn't understand why, it was just a low leveled chunin.

The plan was simple, split up and find the target but they weren't to engage until the rest of the team converged. So that is what they did and it didn't take long for Neji to see a figure jump from the shadows of an alleyway and make and mad dash for the gates. Fortunately, the ANBU captain was able to cut him off just before he exited through the opening. "Close the gates!" He roared at the two other chunin who stood at the gate. They nodded their heads nervously and began to frantically close the gate together. The appearance of an ANBU captain seemed to send the two guard over the edge and the reel slipped from their hands causing the gates to slam together with a very loud bang, but it was closed never the less.

It didn't take long for Kiba and the other operative to appear on the scene. "So you're the shithead that woke everyone up!" The Inuzuka growled and even though the porcelain lizard mask covered his face that wild grin was still pretty obvious. Neji slowly unsheathed the sword from his back and stepped forward, his byakugan also activated causing the surrounding veins to bulge drastically. Neji didn't deem this target threatening enough to use his clan's special fighting style so his sword was the next best thing.

"You have committed crimes against the Leaf! Surrender or you will be engaged!"

Again the captain's orders were drenched in a coldness that only a enemy of his village would receive. The chunin glanced at all three of the ANBU operatives that had converged on him within a blink of the eye and without any visible emotion assumed a combat stance. Kiba's clawed fingers twitched slightly as the feeling of an oncoming battle excited him, that feral grin still plastered across his face. "I must complete this mission for Lady Toshiko! You will not stop me!" Akio shouted before sending several kunai whistling towards Neji and his hands immediately began string seals together. Unfortunately for the treacherous chunin, he was never able to complete the last seal for his jutsu because Kiba's hand grasped the side of his head and violently slammed him into the ground. Just as fast as his first attack, Kiba jammed two fingers into a pressure point on the side of Aiko's neck which temporarily paralyzed him.

The dog-user couldn't conceal the laughter that the adrenaline caused as his captain walked over and examined the now immobilized chunin. With a quick search, Kiba tossed the scroll over to the boar masked ANBU who immediately put into a pouch on his side. "Too easy. Don't ya think, Cap'n?" He said quietly as a group of jonin appeared on the scene, Tenten amongst them. Before Kiba could make a quick joke about Neji's admirer being there a black blur smashed into their teammate. The force of the blow sent the operative crashing through the wall of a shop to their side. Everyone immediately assumed their battle stances as the dead ANBU member was thrown back out of the hole at their feet.

Toshiko emerged from the wreckage twirling the scroll between her thin gloved fingers. "Who are you?!" Neji shouted out to the woman in black but she only replied with a giggle that ignited Kiba's temper. The black cloaked ANBU immediately shot forward with blinding speed but before he could attack Toshiko reacted with inhuman quickness. Her arm seemed to stretch out and grasp Kiba by the front of the cloak and proceeded to slam him into the trunk of a nearby tree. Pieces of his mask fell to the ground that were quickly followed by his limp body. Before anyone else could join the battle she held a hand up to them and spoke,

"I am Lady Toshiko, the true ruler of these lands. You all would be wise to remember that!"

Despite her absolutely beautiful appearance her cold voice that was accompanied by an evil smirk made the hair raise on the back Neji's neck. With that being said she seemed to melt into darkness and quickly disappeared. Once everyone was sure that she was gone even more chaos erupted, Akamaru bounded through the crowd over to his owner. "KIBA!" One of the jonins screamed and also sprinted over to his limp body whom Neji was immediately able to identify as Yamanaka Ino despite the darkness due to his byakugan. The ANBU captain slowly sheathed his sword and walked through the rubble of what once was the wall of the shop to where his other fallen companion laid covered in blood. Tenten stared at him from a distance with a conflicted expression, the girl wanted to comfort Neji but knew that due to his ANBU status and appearance that she could not. So instead of rushing over to the scene like the rest of the jonin had done she just stood in the shadows and observed.

Neji had crouched down beside the dead ninja and examined him for a moment but snapped to attention when he saw Lady Tsunade and Ibiki appear. He rushed out to stand at attention when she ordered Ibiki to take the chunin for interrogation which he only responded with a nod. The scarred man grabbed the immobilized thief by the collar and disappeared with a cloud of smoke. Tsunade turned her attention to the ANBU captain next, "Where is the scroll?" Neji slowly shook his head before answering, "We were able to retrieve it from the original thief, Hokage-sama. Then another woman engaged us that went by the name, Toshiko. She was strong enough to take down two of my men before getting away with the scroll." Tsunade dawned a look of shock at the mention of the name but immediately shook it off and nodded before turning away. Her reaction to the name made Neji believe that she knew more than she was letting on.

That woman was very powerful in a weird way, it was almost like she wasn't human. He turned his attention to the direction of his fallen best friend as medical ninja worked with a sense of urgency. Ino stood close to Kiba but far enough away as to not get in the medics' way. She had a distraught look upon her face and was obviously fighting back tears. Neji had failed to recapture the scroll, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he may have lost his best friend and teammate as well.

**Author's Note's**

**Well, here is the second chapter! I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Rest & Relaxation

When there was a death in the field during a mission it was considered ANBU protocol to extensively debrief the captain of the squad that the casualty occurred in. In most cases it was Morino Ibiki who orchestrated these debriefings but considering the chunin who was taken prisoner by Captain Hyuuga Neji and his team Ibiki's hands were quiet full in terms of interrogation. So in his absence he left Mitarashi Anko to do what was needed to be done with Neji. These sorts of debriefings normally took a few hours but given the gravity of the current situation it turned into a all-night ordeal.

Even when someone like Anko was trying to ask questions in a gentle manner it still had a interrogation-like atmosphere that would make most uncomfortable, but it took more than that to phase Neji. He answered most of the questions she asked without much thought because he was so distracted by the idea of Inuzuka Kiba being in a hospital. Of course, if the Captain were to at least know the health status of his partner he would have been able to focus more on the task at hand. Unfortunately, after the situation had deescalated he was ripped away by Anko and her team while the medics hauled Kiba off to the hospital.

As if that were enough, the rookie that he had been taking on missions to give him more field experience before being transferred to a different branch of ANBU had been killed. Neji deemed this incident to be his fault for not being on his toes after the target had been apprehended, and that in itself was eating away at the young man's conscious. Then there was the weird woman who had ambushed them with enough power to takeout two of ANBU operatives. "Captain Hyuuga! Are you listening?!" Anko's harsh voice snapped Neji out of his trance as he looked back across the table at the woman with his pupil-less eyes.

"Yes, please continue." Neji answered with his calm and collected tone.

"Were you able to identify the woman who ambushed your team? Or even something that might make her easier to identify?"

Neji slowly shook his head, "Other than being a pale woman with black hair and red eyes I couldn't really identify any specific marking. Although, I did notice something weird when looking at her chakra system while my Byakugan was active."

"Oh? And what would that be?" At this point Anko had leaned over the edge of the table with obvious eagerness to obtain more information.

"There wasn't one."

"I see… Wait, what?!"

"There was no sign of a chakra circulation system or anything else for that matter. The only thing that I could see within the body cavity was some sort of black mist. Not only that, but the killing intent that she emitted was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It felt, for lack of better words, demonic."

The rest of the meeting seemed to go by pretty quickly after that, but Anko had a uneasy expression the rest of the time as well. Neji couldn't help but feel like he was being kept in the dark while everyone else knew something about this Toshiko. Eventually, the jonin dismissed him and hurried out of the room to report to Ibiki.

By the time Neji had exited the compound the sun was already peaking over the horizon. Despite the wave of exhaustion that had suddenly washed over his entire body, Neji simply ignored it and set out for the hospital. It didn't take long to find Kiba's room after asking one of the medical ninja who had been walking through the hall at the time.

Neji quietly glanced into the room he had been directed to and found Kiba laying on his back staring up at the ceiling, his upper torso covered in bandages. A twinge of guilt made Neji sick to his stomach as he examined his best friend's wounds. Finally he gave a light knock and leaned against the doorframe as the Inuzuka turned his attention towards the source of noise and a massive grin immediately covered his face. "Nice of you to stop by, Cap'n." If Neji only had the boy's voice to judge by he would have thought nothing was wrong.

"Sorry, I figured you were in the veterinarian's wing." It was very rare for Neji to crack jokes so Kiba really didn't know how to act so he just chuckled lightly.

"I bet they serve the animals' better food than what I've had to deal with this morning." Said Kiba with a grimace while gesturing towards a plate of half-eaten rice. Suddenly his mood visibly dropped as he clinched the blanket that covered his legs with both hands. "I got reckless out there last night and I'm sorry, Neji." The Hyuuga that stood before him simply shook his head and waved off Kiba's attempt at apologizing. "No need to apologize."

Kiba nodded while staring at his clinched fists, "What about the rookie?" The ANBU captain had been expecting that question and still hadn't formulated a plan on how to properly approach it. A low sigh escaped his lips as he looked at his partner and grimly shook his head. Kiba nodded once again as if he already figured as much and just needed some confirmation. With a desperate attempt to lighten the mood in the room he gestured towards the blond girl curled up in the chair across the room. Obviously deeply asleep because she hadn't raised her head one time since he had entered the room. "I see you have a admirer keeping you company."

The young ANBU had to stifle a laugh at his friend's presumptions. "Ino-chan? Been there, done that. We realized pretty fast that we were better as close friends. I guess she was just worried." Neji stared at his injured partner in disbelief. Kiba and Ino had tried to have a relationship recently and he knew nothing about it? Not that he cared, but usually Kiba didn't shut up about the girls he was trying to get with. "Besides, I've got my eyes set on someone else." Kiba explained while looking out the window on the other side of his bed.

Neji slowly arched a eyebrow in confusion, "Who is the unfortunate girl?" The only reply he got was a very sly grin that seemed to hint at something that the Hyuuga captain did not want to know. He quickly decided that it was best not to pry because if Kiba said it was his cousin he would be forced to injure him further. "What did the doctor say?" He asked after standing up straight and got ready to leave.

"Doc says I had a couple of broken ribs and some pretty bad contusions, but I'll be ready to roll by tomorrow!" The dog-user almost shouted with clear excitement. Neji simply nodded once again, "Good, I'll see you tomorrow then."

The next couple of days seemed to drag by due to the constant patrols and research sessions in the ANBU information center. Neji had still not found anything on the woman named Toshiko or the kanji sign of death, it was almost like someone had taken the information already. As if that weren't suspicious enough, Lady Tsunade had hulled herself up in the sacred Hokage library. It was pretty obvious that she too was studying up on this mystery woman and that was probably why the ANBU captain couldn't find any of the books he needed to learn things.

After a short nap in his apartment in the Hyuuga compound area of Konoha, Neji began to put his ANBU attire back on for patrol when a ridiculous pounding resounded from his door. With a sigh, Neji walked over and opened the door to discover Kiba standing there in his jonin attire with a very mischievous look about him. "Guess what?" he asked quickly as he walked past Neji and took a seat in the living room without asking. "What, Kiba?" Neji reluctantly asked despite the feeling that he didn't really want to hear what the boy had to say.

"Lady Tsunade called me over to the tower and told me to tell you that our squad has two days off of duty, because apparently a certain captain hasn't been taking the breaks he was supposed to take." His expression became more and more mischievous with every word that came from his mouth. Neji scoffed at the Hokage's orders but knew that if that was what she wanted then he had no choice but to do so. "We need to take advantage of this downtime and pay a visit to Gai-sensei for training in taijutsu." That was just like Neji, to be a stiff and take a request to relax as a opportunity to work even more.

Kiba gaped at his partner for a few moments, "Honestly, are you really that much of a stiff or do you just act like it around me?" The Hyuuga prodigy narrowed his eyes at the man and grunted. "We already have plans tonight, so Gai-sensei will have to wait until tomorrow." The shock quickly melted away into Kiba's typical grin.

"Oh? And what are the plans?" Neji's uneasy feeling since Kiba has entered his home only grew by the second as he waited on him to explain just what he was talking about.

"_We _are going drinking with a couple of old friends! Don't try to be a dick about it either, Neji. You need to let loose every once in a while other wise you're going to have a head full of grey hair before you're twenty!" Neji opened his mouth to protest but shut it knowing that it was impossible to argue with Kiba when it came to things like this. Sometimes he wondered how exactly the two ended up being best friends. It seemed like every time they got into a situation that Neji really didn't belong in, it was Kiba's idea in the first place. "See you in a hour!" The Inuzuka boy exclaimed before standing up and leaving just as quickly as he came.

Neji slowly sat down on the cushion where he typically meditated and let a loud sigh. He knew they were going to meet at the restaurant beside Ichiraku's and also knew that the last two times they had went something happened. Tonight was going to be very interesting and not in the way that Neji liked.

The restaurant that Kiba frequently visited to let loose with friends was a pretty rowdy place which was part of the reason the young man liked it so much. His group typically didn't get into any altercations with other people under the influence because it common knowledge that they were all extremely dangerous.

He had left Akamaru with Hana because she had several vaccinations that she needed to give him, and a giant ninja dog really didn't fit in at a place where shinobi came to drink sake. When the young ANBU entered the restaurant a group immediately yelled to get his attention and he immediately made his way through the crowd over to them. Tenten gave him a pat on the back while Hyuuga Hinata simply stared down at her cup of tea with a obviously shade of pink spread across her normally pale cheeks. Before anything could be said a large bottle of sake was slammed down on the table which caused everyone to look up to see who owned the hand wrapped around the bottle. Kotetsu Hagane was staring at Kiba with a huge grin, "Good to see you aren't dead, Inuzuka! Heard the bitch gave you a real good beating!" Izumo Kamizuki immediately walked over after realizing his intoxicated best friend had migrated across the room and patted Kiba on the back.

Kiba took the bottle from Kotetsu and took several large gulps of before placing it back on the table. "She caught me off guard that's all.." His excuse caused everyone at the table to burst into laughter but Kiba knew it was all in good fun. After taking several more large drinks from Kotetsu's bottle Kiba gave it back to him and the two chunin went back to where they had been seated before. "Where's Neji?" Tenten asked with a small hiccup showing that she was a bit intoxicated herself. Tenten may have been all business when she was on duty or training but the girl really knew how to cut loose and have fun too. Kiba shrugged, "He said he was coming, but he is such a hardass I wouldn't be surprised if he is training instead."

Hinata quietly took a small sip of her tea watching Kiba converse with Tenten. Ever since Naruto had been dispatched to train with Killer Bee Hinata had found her feelings shifting from the blond jinchuriki to big-hearted dog-user, and this time the feelings were actually mutual. They had grown up together and Kiba had always flirted with her but the girl had been blinded by Naruto until now. Kiba took a seat next to her and ordered a bottle of sake and several glass. "How are you Hinata-chan?"

"I-I'm doing good. How a-about you, Kiba-kun?" Her nerves were once again getting the best of her.

"Can't complain, I'm still kickin'!" He shouted over the noise while the waitress sat his order down on the table in front of him.

It wasn't long before Neji showed up and found his way to their table and took a seat on the other side of his cousin. His attention was obviously on how close Kiba was sitting to Hinata, but decided not to say anything about it just yet. He gave everyone a polite smile while Kiba filled up the cups and pushed them to everyone. Tenten immediately took hers and placed it against her lips while Neji slowly sipped his. It didn't take a genius to tell that Tenten was a bit inebriated and when she sat the once full cup down empty it became even more obvious. She gazing over at Neji as if he couldn't see her, "You guys sure have had your hands full lately." Her words were slightly slurred but she still knew what she was doing.

"It has been a eventful couple of days." Neji's words were smooth as they rolled off his tongue. Suddenly Kiba slammed his cup down on the table and looked over at Tenten with a rather drunk expression. "One hell of a week! Thieves every which way and one baaaaaaad bitch!" Neji stared at his partner and slightly shook his head. This was going to be a long night.

After several hours of drinking and conversation Hinata decided it was time for her to get back to the Hyuuga compound before Hiashi sent a search and rescue party to find her. Kiba immediately strung several slurs together that sounded like a offer to walk her home. Neji was fixing to object but Tenten grabbed his arm and squeezed tightly. Hinata graciously accepted and they left but not before Kiba stumbled several times trying to get to the door.

Neji was going to give the bastard a beating of a lifetime tomorrow during their training session and go out of his way to make it very clear that Lady Hinata was off limits. Once they were gone Neji turned his attention back to Tenten to find that was giving that odd stare once again. "Is there something you want to say, Tenten-chan?" Neji asked before taking another drink of sake and savoring the warm sensation in his chest as the liquid made its down to his stomach. The question seemed to catch the woman off guard as she immediately averted her gaze elsewhere as if there was something she wanted to say but couldn't.

"You could've died the other night.." She said in a low voice as if she didn't want him to hear.

Neji arched a eyebrow and turned towards her, "We have been in many life-threatening situations like that. What made that one any different?"

Tenten shook her head and stared down at the table with a flustered look. "That woman, Neji-kun.. You are going after her aren't you?"

The concern in the woman's voice wasn't something Neji expected, "Yes, once we have located her I will apprehend her. It is my duty to this village." When her hand found its way to the top of his that was resting on the table he couldn't help but blush slightly.

"Be careful.. I don't know what I would do…. Without you." She then removed her hand and stood up. Before Neji could ask where she was going the jonin planted a kiss on his cheek and hurried out the door. Stunned, Neji just sat there trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. After a while he chalked it up to too much alcohol and paid his tab before leaving as well. Although the ANBU captain would not admit it, he couldn't deny that the small kiss on the cheek somehow felt very right.

Tenten was right to be worried about this mysterious woman who had attacked them. Neji had a very uneasy feeling about the whole situation and the extreme power that Toshiko demonstrated didn't help at all. Tomorrow after beating the hell out of Kiba for trying to make a move on his cousin Neji would pay a visit to Hiashi, the Hyuuga clan head, and see if he had any wisedom to be shared. Surely a man of his age and power would be able to give Neji more information than what he had been able to find so far.

**Author's Note's**

**Sorry that there was not very much action in this chapter, I pretty much dedicated this whole chapter to character development. Big thanks to 'That Guy' for suggesting the KibaxHinata idea! I think it is a great pairing and will also give the story a bit more comic relief as Neji confronts him about the whole ordeal. I hope everyone liked it! Action will resume in the next chapter, promise!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Your Demons Are My Demons

_Never did Hyuuga Neji think that he would see Konoha in the state that was displayed before him. Most of the large buildings and houses were now replaced with flames while a steady current of blood made its way down the street like a raging river. It was hard to process any sort of thought when shrill screams would constantly rip through his being. The people of the Hyuuga prodigy's village lay dead for as far as the eye could see. The sounds of battle were scattered around the village as well, most likely the few surviving shinobi making feeble attempts at saving their homes or themselves. _

_Then she appeared.._

_The very same pale beauty that had attacked his team only a week ago stood just down the street from him. With a smooth motion the woman held her hand up in front of her face revealing her long claw-like fingers, the blood oozing off of them and dropping to the already crimson ground. An abnormally long tongue slithered from between her bright red lips and licked the remaining blood from her claws. A moan sounded from her chest as the blood made its way down her throat. Finally she turned her glowing gaze on Neji with a wicked grin. _

"_The blood of your people is pure ecstasy."_

_The feminine voice echoed off the burning buildings and Neji felt the uncontrollable rage eating him alive. Before the ANBU captain could say or do anything the woman suddenly appeared a arms length from him, the claw where her index finger would normally be tickled threateningly at his Adam's apple. That same wicked grin now revealed fangs that looked just as menacing as the claws that were now only seconds from ripping his throat out. "Tell me boy, do you hate me? Do you loathe me? Do you want to destroy me? Rip me apart in the name of your fallen comrades?" Every word that the woman said tore through Neji like a kunai. _

"_I will kill you!"_

_Neji shouted as the rage had became too much to handle. His hands began to perform seals at a blinding speed but before the set could be complete the clawed hand wrapped around his throat and slammed him violently into the ground. "You have so many reasons to kill me, boy! I am the murderer of everyone close to you and a enemy of your beloved little village!" Her tall figure loomed over his body while Neji desperately tried to ignore the broken bones and stand. His Byakugan was activated and blood poured down his forehead from a gash on his scalp, "You speak of the obvious." _

"_You shinobi are blinded by your humane emotions and moral codes. Do you think you would be able to kill me if I were to address these weaknesses?"_

_Her words were ignored as Neji began to perform the hand seals once more but this time with even more speed. "Hakke Hasangeki!" The ninja slammed his open palm into the woman's stomach but something wasn't right. This wasn't the stomach of the woman who was standing there before, Neji looked up to see the face of Hyuuga Hizashi just before his jutsu finished with a massive surge of chakra that sent the man flying down the street. The gentle fist jutsu hit with so much force that when HIzashi landed it caused a massive crater. A look of pure horror dawned on Neji's face as he stumbled quickly towards the crater, "Father!" How could this have happened? That was supposed to be his enemy but it had been the father that Neji had missed for so long. _

_When he finally made it to the edge of the crater what he discovered cause him to drop to his knees in agony, tears streaming down his face. At the base of the crater was not Hizashi or the woman he had intended to hit, it was Tenten's lifeless and broken body. Her dead hazel eyes slowly glazed over while staring up at Neji, a single tear rolled down her cold cheek. This was no genjutsu, Neji had killed the only girl he had ever had feelings for. He dug his bloody fingers into the dirt as the tears poured from his eyes._

_Suddenly a pain ripped through his beaten body as that same clawed hand tore out of his chest cavity. The giggle that came next told Neji that his attacker was standing behind him but it didn't matter now. Blood poured from his chest and mouth as the woman picked him up from the street, her arm still completely through him. _

"_Weak mortal…" _

Neji shot upright in his bed, his chest was pounding and a cold sweat dripped down his forehead. His right hand immediately touched where the hole in his chest had been. _Just a nightmare, pull yourself together._ Despite the revelation of it just being a dream there was still a uneasy feeling tugging at his nerves and making him sick to his stomach. This was what fear felt like, Neji had come to discover this during the fourth shinobi war.

A knock at the door snapped Neji from his deep thought and he looked at the clock, it was three in the morning. Who would be at his door at that hour? The ninja stood up and stretched his limbs quietly before brandishing a kunai and creeping over to the door.

"Who is it?" He asked sternly, his grip on the blade tightening.

There was a slight pause before the other answered, "I-it's Tenten."

Neji immediately opened the door to the very same hazel eyed kunoichi he had killed only moments ago. A undeniable feeling of relief engulfed him as he took in the sight of his old teammate. _Only a nightmare. _" Is something wrong, Tenten-chan?" Neji asked smoothly and pushed long black lock of hair from his face. A slight blush became aparent on the girl's face as she looked at the man in front of her. That was when Neji realized that he had on nothing but a pair of shorts, the cold sweat from earlier still rolling down his etched muscles. He fought away the embarrassment and motioned for her to come in before he walked over to a dresser and pulling a simple black t-shirt over his bare torso.

"I just wanted to talk." Was all the girl said as she took a seat on the corner of Neji's bed and tried to conceal the blush that still grazed her face. It was very odd to see the Hyuuga in something so _casual_ considering he normally wore shinobi attire or kimonos. He quietly rubbed his forehead before taking a seat on the bed beside Tenten, "Is everything okay? It is pretty late."

"Oh yes, Neji-kun. I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I don't usually drink like that and I overstepped my boundary." Her words were just as cluttered as her thoughts had been. Nerves could be so bothersome at times.

Neji glanced at her through the corner of his eye and slowly shook his head. "Considering that you did nothing wrong I see no reason for you to apologize." His constant formal way of conversing really made him sound like a ass but Tenten had been around him long enough to know better. He knew well that she was attempting to apologize for the kiss on his cheek that still lingered even after a shower and several hours of uneasy sleep. Neji really didn't know how to approach the situation considering that these sorts of emotions were uncharted territory for him. Finally he spoke once again, "You aren't typically one to apologize for your actions, Tenten-chan. What is that you really want to speak about?"

Busted. Leave it to Neji to see completely through her façade and automatically attack the truth. Of course, that was not what she really came to speak about. Tenten had no intention of apologizing for a simple kiss to the cheek, even though it would have been a lot nicer if she had just planted it on those smooth lips. "Caught me, Neji-kun. I actually came because I can't sleep. I have had this bad feeling ever since that woman attacked you and your team."

The Hyuuga simply nodded his head while his white eyes attempted to stare a hole into the ground at his feet. "What is it that you want to know?" His words were short enough to show that he shared the very same feeling that Tenten was suffering from. The beautiful woman beside him lay back against his bed and folded her arms across her chest. An audible sigh escaped her lips that alerted Neji of her frustration.

"I know it is not the way of a kunoichi, but I can't deny the fact that that woman sent chills down my spine. Do you think you will have to face her again?"

"If the Hokage asks that of me then yes, I will. It is my duty to do so; she was able to get away with a valuable scroll."

Tenten adjusted herself on his bed sheets with a nervous effort and an awkward silence ensued. Finally, Neji could not stand it any longer and turned to Tenten with a very odd expression. "What is it that makes you so uneasy? I-_we_ have went up against S-ranked criminals in the past and never once did you act this way." Again he demonstrated his talent to deprive anyone of trying to stall from talking about a sensitive subject. "I read a document that Lady Tsunade forgot on her desk when she was called to the medical wing for an emergency." She knew that this could cause her to lose her job and the way that Neji stared at her proved that he knew as well.

"It talked about a family that the Senju clan destroyed during the Shodai's rule. This family had unlocked secrets to immortality through some demonic source. The Senju clan attacked before they were able to complete their ritual on the entire family. Apparently, only two were reported to have completed the ritual. A brother and sister, Toshiro and Toshiko, displayed very demonic appearances and odd powers. They killed many of the Senju before the Shodai himself sealed them into several scrolls."

Neji stared at the girl with disbelief, "You are saying that the woman who attacked us was this Toshiko?" Tenten replied with a grim nod before continuing her ongoing plethora of information. "These scrolls were kept here in the Leaf after it was established, but once the other hidden villages were built they were divided up." The Hyuuga placed his elbows on top of his knees and leaned against them while he tried to process all of the information.

"If there were several scrolls that means that they would all have to be together before one can be released." Tenten nodded once again before sitting back up and touching shoulders with Neji. So deep in thought, neither of them noticed how close their bodies were. "Now do you see why I'm worried? If the Shodai Hokage couldn't even kill them how are we-" Neji shook his head and grabbed Tenten by the hand and pulled her over to the window beside his bed. "See that?" He asked smoothly while pointing at the mountain displaying the faces of all the Hokages.

"That mountain is the embodiment of our village's success, our will of fire. Whether this information you have provided stands true or not, I do not know. What I do know is that we will succeed either way. That mountain is proof enough." His voice was gentle but stern enough to show that he truly believed in the words that he spoke. While he spoke Tenten had laced her fingers into his and stared at him with an expression full of emotion. Neji was so bold and devoted when he spoke about the village and its strength, but it still didn't nullify the nervous feeling she had about the whole situation. "C-can I stay here tonight?" She asked in a quiet voice and averted her gaze to the ground.

The question had caught Neji off-guard and resulted in him staring at her for a few moments. "If that is what you want, Tenten-chan. You can sleep here and I will sleep on the couch." Tenten slowly sat down on the bed, her gaze still on the floor. Neji let go of her hand despite the feelings that told him not to and started towards the couch but was stopped when she grabbed him by the back of the shirt. His breathe caught in his throat as she pulled down on to the bed beside her and slowly laid her head on his chest. "I know it's a sign of weakness, but I'm scared, Neji-kun." Tenten whispered as she clenched at the fabric of his thin t-shirt.

Neji laid there stiffly not knowing what to do, but eventually the soft, steady breathing from the girl laying next to him signified that she had fallen asleep. Relaxing, Neji awkwardly placed his hand on the small of Tenten's back and closed his eyes. This was new and surprisingly nice, but the surge of unknown emotions coursing throughout his body was something that needed to be dealt with soon. Eventually, Neji too fell asleep and this time it was much more peaceful than last time.

Tenten rolled over and opened her heavy eyes; that was by far the best rest she had gotten in a while. Suddenly she realized where she was and sat up abruptly. Embarrassment caused a blush to cover her entire face. _I slept in Neji's bed!_ She scanned the room to see that there was no trace of the owner but there was a note on the nightstand that had her name wrote on it. She grabbed the parchment and unfolded it to read its contents.

_Tenten-chan,_

_I spoke with Lady Tsunade this morning and told her that you were getting some much needed rest this morning. She understood and asks for you to relieve the ANBU operative I had fill your spot after lunch. I had one of the clan chefs cook you breakfast, it is in the kitchen. _

_-Neji_

After only several hours of sleep, Neji had stirred and move with the silence that only a shinobi could in order not to wake Tenten. After exiting the room and sliding the door shut he proceeded with his normal morning procedure. After breakfast, washing, and changing into his jonin attire Neji left to speak with the Hokage. The dark circles around Tenten's eyes hadn't gone unnoticed and he decided that some rest would be good for her. Lady Tsunade, being the medic-nin she was, would understand completely.

Once that was complete the Hyuuga made his way to the ANBU training grounds. Kiba was lounging in a tree lazily and Akamaru was curled up at the base of the trunk when Neji showed up. Despite all of the new information and emotions that he was exposed to the night before, the ANBU captain had not forgotten his partner's obvious interest in his cousin. Hinata was the Hyuuga clan heir and he was a member of the branch family, this meant that his sole purpose was to protect the main house. To be more specific, Neji's job was to protect HInata. That meant from any sort of danger including the specialized warfare of love and lust. 

The Inuzuka quickly jumped from the tree and approached his partner with his typical feral grin. "Mornin', Cap'n!" Kiba shouted loudly but before he could say another word he was struck in the chest with a chakra infused palm. This sent him crashing backwards but being the tough ninja he was, Kiba was able to stand to his feet quickly. Anger was apart as he shouted at Neji, "What the fuck?!" The ANBU dropped to all fours and rushed forward. Suddenly he jumped up and began spinning at a ferocious speed heading directly at Neji, "Tsūga!"

Neji slide into his gentle fist stance and preformed a string of hand seals, "Hakkeshō Kaiten!" The captain then held out his arms with the palms facing out and spun with just as much speed, a mass of chakra surrounding him like a sphere. Kiba's attack bounced off his captain's perfect defense and he landed several yards back on all fours, a loud snarl sounded through the training grounds. Other shinobi that had been training had stopped to watch the fight.

"Inuzuka Kiba, do you know what purpose the branch house serves in the Hyuuga clan?"

Kiba slowly arched a eyebrow but stayed in his battle stance. What the hell was Neji doing? He glanced back quickly to see Akamaru still lying against the tree staring at them through one open eye. It was obvious that the canine counterpart had no interest in getting involved in a bout between two friends. The Inuzuka snarled yet again at his dog's treacherous behavior. "They protect the main house from danger. What's this about, asshole?"

Suddenly Neji shot forward and sent several quick jabs at his partner that most wouldn't be able to avoid but thanks to his speed, Kiba was able to precisely maneuver between the blows. He jumped and sent a powerful drop kick screaming down at his opponent but when it smashed into the ground he knew that Neji had moved. He quickly scanned the area for his captain but he was nowhere to be found. Typically his scent would give him away but for some reason even that was hard to place in one singular spot.

"Correct. We protect the main house from anything that can cause them harm. Do you know who I am charged with protecting with my life?"

_Hinata._ Kiba's eyes widened in shock once he had gathered what this whole situation was about. The distraction of this revelation had caused was enough for Neji to plant six powerful jabs with his palms into Kiba's chest and ribs. The pain these precise jabs caused was immense. It was common knowledge throughout Konoha that Hyuuga Neji was currently one of the most dangerous shinobi serving its cause. A ninja who harnessed the Hyuuga clan fighting style and used it like no other, Neji could stand against even the most dangerous threats. Some even said that he had to potential to be Lady Tsunade's successor as the Leaf Village's Hokage.

Kiba was just fixing to fall to his knees from the blows he received but was sent tumbling backwards by a powerful kick. "I am to protect my cousin, Hyuuga Hinata, with my life. I cannot let any harm come to her and that includes your womanizing ways, Kiba." The Inuzuka groaned in response before climbing back to his feet. He spat the blood that had pooled in his mouth out and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, all while staring at Neji with unsung rage.

"So you would rather her fawn over Uzumaki?! If you haven't noticed, she has been a bit depressed since he and Sakura were sent to the cloud village. Not to mention the fact that those two have practically been on the verge of marriage since the war ended. It crushed Hinata-chan! All I'm doing is showing her that there are other fish in the sea."

Neji stared at Kiba for several moments and then assumed his battle stance once again. "Naruto and Sakura's relationship is not of my concern." Kiba clenched his fist and dropped down onto all fours again, a large amount of chakra radiating from his being. He rushed forward and attempted a clawed jab but was intercepted by another palm jab. Instead of falling back Kiba burst into a cloud of smoke. Neji's eyes narrowed. _A clone._ A powerful kick suddenly connected with Neji's back that sent him flying face first towards a tree, but the Hyuuga simply rolled into a position where his feet would hit the trunk first. The chakra that was focused in his legs allowed Neji to simply stand on the trunk.

"She deserves happiness, Neji! Let me try to give that to her!"

The gap between the two was drastically decreased with a jump that was so fast it made Neji look like a blur. When he stopped he was merely a foot away from his partner with a scowl on his face. "How do you think you could give this to her? My cousin is not some village whore. Lady Hinata is an honorable kunoichi of the leaf and the next Hyuuga clan head." He looked ready to hit Kiba yet again but there was far less killing intent being exhibited than before.

"We aren't kids any more, Captain. I've changed and I can prove it."

Neji glared at Kiba for several long moments, "Why do I feel like this isn't you asking for permission?" The Inuzuka gave yet another huge grin that showed his canines. "Because, I'm not." He said quickly and got ready for yet another barrage of powerful attacks. Instead of being engaged once again his opponent just stared at him with a furrowed brow. Then finally Neji crossed his arms across his chest and stood up into a neutral stance.

"You can have your chance, but I will always be supervising when you are together. Kiba, I am going to give you this warning only once. If you demonstrate any inappropriate behavior or hurt her in any way I _will_ kill you."

Never in a thousand years would Kiba ever expected for Neji to give in so easily, but he wasn't going to waste a once in a lifetime opportunity. "You got it, Cap'n!" He shouted with a mock salute that caused Akamaru to bark in the background.

**Author's Note's**

**Sorry for the wait, but here is the next chapter! I really hope you have enjoyed it so far! This is chapter had quite a bit more action in it but just as much character development as well. I would really appreciate reviews and I'll take constructive criticism if you have any to offer!**


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